Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.--Ernest Benn

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Good-Enuff

It was so hot, I was tempted to leave the front door open to cool the house while we went sailing. Out of prudence, I closed and locked up. Which meant that Doberwoman deserted her post and retreated to cool off in the back yard.

This evening's twilight race was notable in many regards. Trophy Wife returned from the injury list and served her role as time-keeper and nagivator-of-details (both my glaring weaknesses). This was our first of three races without Mastman who is in Spain where the rain is mainly in the plains. In his place, we subbed a 14-year old kid (!), 200lbs (!), and 6 ft tall (!) off the docks! Kid had been kicked off a competitor's crew because a sailor didn't want any one onboard who didn't drink beer! I had a lot of initial trepidation, but Kid owns his own skiff, and is all into sailing. I was relieved that he takes instruction! Kid may be a keeper. I found a coke in the cooler for him.

Instead of the 10-16 knots predicted, Mother Nature provided 16-21 knots, wall-to-wall. 16 boats showed up to a starting line that was highly, highly favored on the starboard end. As always, my strategic approach is not to attempt the perfect start but a good-enough start. With less than 60 seconds, I saw the Beneteau 40 deep, approaching to shave off bargers. He was the one going to get the perfect start. We waited on the flanks for the right moment to jump in and we were good enough. Two or three bargers were shaved off at the pin and we were able to immediately flip on port for a tack to the beach. A dynamite start! Completely alone we tacked back on to starboard and sailed over the kelp bed un-molested. We were trucking.

No mistakes were made throughout. Somehow we sustained a severe tear in a spinnaker panel. I expected the chute to blow up any minute, but she held up. Better than I, who had to be relieved off the helm for much of the final leg.
We were 4th to cross the line. And corrected to 1st.

Sozadee CA

Sozadee is a state of mind. It was discovered (or founded) many years ago on a hot August afternoon's sail out of Newport Beach. There was no wind (at least any stronger than the current) and a burning, glaring sun. The limp sails afforded no shade. All aboard knew the outboard was questionable. The ice on the beer was melting and discussion was skirting the issue of sunstroke. Suddenly, the word "Sozadee" was uttered, the breeze returned, and all was well.

Weather

Sailing is not the Answer. Sailing is the Question. "Yes" is the answer!

Olin Stephens II

"...increasing age has brought with it a loss of agility as well as less tolerance of discomfort, and my active enjoyment of sailing has become less. Reluctantly I admit today that the important place in my life once occupied by sailing has been replaced by a computer."